Native American Tourism of Wisconsin (NATOW) is hosting its 2023 Conference and Golf Tournament on June 20-22, 2023! This year's theme is Celebrating Wisconsin Tribal Arts & Culture, and we have a full line up of panels, presentations, performances, demonstrations and world class entertainment from the Minnesota-based band, Indigenous. We'll also have cultural demonstrations and activities for all ages! Join us as we celebrate the beauty and diversity of Wisconsin's indigenous cultures. Discover Native Wisconsin!
We'll kick off this year's conference with our annual golf tournament that will be held at the Pine Hills Country Club on Tuesday, June 20th, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m., followed by an awards banquet directly afterwards. Please scroll down for the full schedule of events.
We'll kick off this year's conference with our annual golf tournament that will be held at the Pine Hills Country Club on Tuesday, June 20th, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m., followed by an awards banquet directly afterwards. Please scroll down for the full schedule of events.
Location
Menominee Casino & Resort
N277 WI-47, Keshena, WI 54135
N277 WI-47, Keshena, WI 54135
Date & Time
June 20, 2023, 9:00 AM - June 22, 2023 - 12:00 PM
Schedule
June 20, 2023 - Golf Tournament
2023 Native American Tourism of Wisconsin Conference & Golf Tournament
Please click on the link above to register for the Golf Tournament
The 2023 NATOW Tourism conference "Celebrating Wisconsin Tribal Art & Culture" will be held at the Menominee Casino and Convention Center in Keshena, Wisconsin from June 20-22, 2023.
Register here or in-person at the conference.
Host Hotel: Menominee Casino Resort Phone: 715-799-3600
Group Code: NATOW6
Book by June 13th for the group rate.
*Panels and content subject to change.
Tuesday: June 20, 2023
Golf Tournament Fundraiser - Pine Hills Country Club
Address: N9499 Pine Hills Dr, Gresham, WI 54128
$100 per player/$400 per 4-person team
Fee includes golf, cart, range balls, prize fund.
Lunch provided at the 9th hole.
Extras: Skin game, bucket raffles, 50/50 drawing, proximity events for men and women.
Awards dinner immediately following at the clubhouse
8:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee
10:00 a.m. Shotgun start
Awards ceremony directly after at the clubhouse
Noon - 5 p.m. Menominee Convention Center: Exhibitors & Vendors Set up
Coordinator: Kristal Hill (Contact: [email protected])
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday: June 21, 2023
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Onsite Check in, Registration & Payment
Coordinators: Don Lincoln, Gina Brown
8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremonies
Welcome - Randal Chevalier, NATOW Menominee Board Member
Drum Group - Wolf River Singers
Honor Guard - Veterans of the Menominee Nation
Opening prayer - Dennis Kenot, Menominee Elder
Welcoming Address Menominee Nation Chairwoman Gena Kakkak
Special Message from Governor Tony Evers
NATOW Board Chair - Nathan Gordon Red Cliff
NATOW Executive Director - Suzette Brewer
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Wisconsin Native Nations Art & Cultural Exhibition - WIA, Inc.
(Bear Room, Convention Center)
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Arts & Crafts Demonstrations - Canoe, Basketry, Beadwork, Storytelling, Authors, et al.
(Outdoor Event Tent)
See schedule below
9 am to 5 pm: Kids’ Cultural Activities and Demonstrations
(Outdoor Kids’ Event Tent)
See schedule below
9:00 a.m. Main Ballroom
NATOW-WIDEC Sharktank Business Pitch Competition
Judges: Becky Albert-Breed, Jennifer Peters, Kirby Metoxen
Emcee: Collin Price
Native Entrepreneurs will be presenting their best pitches to our all-star panel of judges for a chance to dream big and win one of two $5,000 prizes to build their own businesses. We'll be hearing from both aspiring or established entrepreneurs who have joined our workshops to learn how to build business plan and make their best "Sharktank-style" pitch. Join us for this rousing competition that will showcase the best of Native entrepreneurship in Wisconsin! This event is brought to you by NATOW and the Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation, First Nations Community Financial, Woodland Financial Partners and SCORE to build economic development and financial sustainability in Wisconsin's Tribal communities.
9 a.m. Moose Room
The Business of Tribal Art in the Age of Covid
Presenters: Cheryl Cloud, Curtis Decora
Powwows and art markets aren’t the only places to earn income from your art. During the pandemic, artists and craftspeople were forced to adapt their business models to the online market and other venues. We will share stories and tactics on how others are working to overcome the challenges of event closures and how you can apply them to your career as well. This session will provide you with the tools, strategy and resources to transition your art career online and help you decide what areas you can control during these unprecedented and difficult times.
11:00 a.m. Eagle Room
Building Pathways to Partnership
Working with Non-Native Institutions for Better Representation
Presenters: Megan Monday, Executive Producer, PBS-WI Education; David Boffa, Producer, PBS-WI Education; Monique Tyndall, Stockbridge-Munsee Cultural Affairs Director.
Historically, tribes and Native people have been stereotyped, marginalized and misrepresented in movies, television and media, with little or no input from tribal experts and communities. In this panel, we will be going over the PBS-Education and WI-Biographies Project and discussing the importance of working with tribal cultural heritage experts and tribal governments to provide more accuracy and nuance in the media. We will also explore how to build an inclusive model that ensures tribal representation in all areas of production with a presentation on the WI-Biographies Electa Quinney project that illustrates the benefits for both tribes and the media.
11:00 a.m. Moose Room
Harnessing the Power of Tourism Marketing to Drive Economic Impact
Amy Webber Industry Marketing and Partner Relations Manager, Travel Wisconsin; David Spiegelberg Eastern Regional Tourism Specialist in Eastern Wisconsin, Travel Wisconsin
Would you like to learn more about how to promote tourism and drive economic impact in
your community? Join the Travel Wisconsin Team at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism
and learn more about our statewide marketing strategy, and the many resources we offer our
partners to inspire visitors to discover the unexpected across the state. We’ll highlight how
Travel Wisconsin works with NATOW to promote tribal tourism to visitors. You'll also learn
about the Wisconsin Department of Tourism marketing grant opportunities and how to stay
connected with us throughout the year.
12:15
Introduction: Suzanne Wittman, Executive Director - Shawano Country
Lunch Keynote: Maria Van Hoorn, Deputy Secretary - Wisconsin Department of Tourism
1:30 p.m. Main Ballroom
The NATOW Indigenous Fashion Show
Since time immemorial, Native people have always designed their own clothes and regalia - but the rest of the fashion world is starting to catch on to the beauty, ingenuity and talent of Indigenous designers. This high-energy fashion show will showcase the amazing talents of Native designers from across Wisconsin, who are setting new trends, breaking old stereotypes and creating innovative designs that are both modern, yet traditional in origin.
2:30 p.m. Moose Room
Indigenous Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century: How to Utilize a NCDFI to Grow Your Business
Panel: Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation (WIEDC) Jennifer Peters (WIEDC), Pam Boivin (Woodland Financial/WIEDC Chair), Becky Albert-Breed (First Nations Community Financial/WIEDC Vice Chair),Cheryl Cloud (WINLF/WIEDC Board Member), Chris Cote (FACC)
WIEDC cordially invites all Native entrepreneurs seeking information on starting and building your own businesses to attend this important session where we will discuss the resources available to Native Entrepreneurs and Native-Owned small businesses to help start, support and sustain your business. We'll explain how to take your idea and turn it into a working business, with tips, tricks and guidance on the necessary steps from how to register an LLC, to applying for CDFI loans and grants. Join us for this informative session to start building your dreams!
2:30 p.m. Wolf Room
Wisconsin Native Nations Digital Stewardship Roundtable
Presenters: Erin Hughes, Digital and Community Outreach Archivist, Wisconsin Library Services and Monique Tyndall, Stockbridge-Munsee Cultural Affairs Director
Join us for a lively, informative roundtable discussion with WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) and the Curating Indigenous Digital Collections NEH Grant partners. Everyone is welcome, whether you currently have a flourishing digital stewardship project or are just thinking about starting one. WiLS is a non-profit membership organization that facilitates collaborative projects and services and is supporting a new Wisconsin Native Nations Digital Records Collective. The goal of this initiative is to collaborate with tribal cultural workers to build a collective where workers can share information and find resources to advance their communities’ digital stewardship work. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about digital stewardship work being done with the Curating Indigenous Digital Collection grant and take part in a round-robin to share digital stewardship work success and challenges.
3:30 p.m. Wolf Room
The NATOW Smart Phone Indigenous Film Festival
Emcee: Michelle Danforth
Join us for this fun and lively Indigenous film festival with 5-minute short films shot solely on smart phones to make filmmaking accessible to our communities. These films showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Tribal members of all ages throughout Wisconsin who bring their storytelling skills in three award winning categories, including Comedy, Drama and Documentary.
*Panels subject to change
5:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m. Evening Dinner: Traditional Menominee Menu
Indigenous Chef Thomas Boivin
7:00 p.m. Evening Keynote: Secretary Anne Sayers, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
7:30 p.m. The Menominee Pageant Players
8:00 p.m. Recognition of new NATOW officers
Announcing winners of the Sharktank Competition
9:00 p.m. Evening Entertainment
Band: Indigenous (Blues and Rock)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday: June 22, 2022
8:00 a.m. Depart for Fam Tour
Menominee Cultural Museum
Menominee Logging Museum
The Indian Bowl Powwow Grounds
Keshena Falls
Noon Official send off with box lunches.
OUTDOOR EVENT SCHEDULE - WEDNESDAY JUNE 21ST
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Arts & Crafts Demonstrations (Canoe, Basketry, Beadwork, etc.) Outdoors
*subject to change
Kids Cultural Activities and Demonstrations 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outdoors
*subject to change
Please click on the link above to register for the Golf Tournament
The 2023 NATOW Tourism conference "Celebrating Wisconsin Tribal Art & Culture" will be held at the Menominee Casino and Convention Center in Keshena, Wisconsin from June 20-22, 2023.
Register here or in-person at the conference.
Host Hotel: Menominee Casino Resort Phone: 715-799-3600
Group Code: NATOW6
Book by June 13th for the group rate.
*Panels and content subject to change.
Tuesday: June 20, 2023
Golf Tournament Fundraiser - Pine Hills Country Club
Address: N9499 Pine Hills Dr, Gresham, WI 54128
$100 per player/$400 per 4-person team
Fee includes golf, cart, range balls, prize fund.
Lunch provided at the 9th hole.
Extras: Skin game, bucket raffles, 50/50 drawing, proximity events for men and women.
Awards dinner immediately following at the clubhouse
8:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee
10:00 a.m. Shotgun start
Awards ceremony directly after at the clubhouse
Noon - 5 p.m. Menominee Convention Center: Exhibitors & Vendors Set up
Coordinator: Kristal Hill (Contact: [email protected])
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday: June 21, 2023
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Onsite Check in, Registration & Payment
Coordinators: Don Lincoln, Gina Brown
8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremonies
Welcome - Randal Chevalier, NATOW Menominee Board Member
Drum Group - Wolf River Singers
Honor Guard - Veterans of the Menominee Nation
Opening prayer - Dennis Kenot, Menominee Elder
Welcoming Address Menominee Nation Chairwoman Gena Kakkak
Special Message from Governor Tony Evers
NATOW Board Chair - Nathan Gordon Red Cliff
NATOW Executive Director - Suzette Brewer
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Wisconsin Native Nations Art & Cultural Exhibition - WIA, Inc.
(Bear Room, Convention Center)
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Arts & Crafts Demonstrations - Canoe, Basketry, Beadwork, Storytelling, Authors, et al.
(Outdoor Event Tent)
See schedule below
9 am to 5 pm: Kids’ Cultural Activities and Demonstrations
(Outdoor Kids’ Event Tent)
See schedule below
9:00 a.m. Main Ballroom
NATOW-WIDEC Sharktank Business Pitch Competition
Judges: Becky Albert-Breed, Jennifer Peters, Kirby Metoxen
Emcee: Collin Price
Native Entrepreneurs will be presenting their best pitches to our all-star panel of judges for a chance to dream big and win one of two $5,000 prizes to build their own businesses. We'll be hearing from both aspiring or established entrepreneurs who have joined our workshops to learn how to build business plan and make their best "Sharktank-style" pitch. Join us for this rousing competition that will showcase the best of Native entrepreneurship in Wisconsin! This event is brought to you by NATOW and the Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation, First Nations Community Financial, Woodland Financial Partners and SCORE to build economic development and financial sustainability in Wisconsin's Tribal communities.
9 a.m. Moose Room
The Business of Tribal Art in the Age of Covid
Presenters: Cheryl Cloud, Curtis Decora
Powwows and art markets aren’t the only places to earn income from your art. During the pandemic, artists and craftspeople were forced to adapt their business models to the online market and other venues. We will share stories and tactics on how others are working to overcome the challenges of event closures and how you can apply them to your career as well. This session will provide you with the tools, strategy and resources to transition your art career online and help you decide what areas you can control during these unprecedented and difficult times.
11:00 a.m. Eagle Room
Building Pathways to Partnership
Working with Non-Native Institutions for Better Representation
Presenters: Megan Monday, Executive Producer, PBS-WI Education; David Boffa, Producer, PBS-WI Education; Monique Tyndall, Stockbridge-Munsee Cultural Affairs Director.
Historically, tribes and Native people have been stereotyped, marginalized and misrepresented in movies, television and media, with little or no input from tribal experts and communities. In this panel, we will be going over the PBS-Education and WI-Biographies Project and discussing the importance of working with tribal cultural heritage experts and tribal governments to provide more accuracy and nuance in the media. We will also explore how to build an inclusive model that ensures tribal representation in all areas of production with a presentation on the WI-Biographies Electa Quinney project that illustrates the benefits for both tribes and the media.
11:00 a.m. Moose Room
Harnessing the Power of Tourism Marketing to Drive Economic Impact
Amy Webber Industry Marketing and Partner Relations Manager, Travel Wisconsin; David Spiegelberg Eastern Regional Tourism Specialist in Eastern Wisconsin, Travel Wisconsin
Would you like to learn more about how to promote tourism and drive economic impact in
your community? Join the Travel Wisconsin Team at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism
and learn more about our statewide marketing strategy, and the many resources we offer our
partners to inspire visitors to discover the unexpected across the state. We’ll highlight how
Travel Wisconsin works with NATOW to promote tribal tourism to visitors. You'll also learn
about the Wisconsin Department of Tourism marketing grant opportunities and how to stay
connected with us throughout the year.
12:15
Introduction: Suzanne Wittman, Executive Director - Shawano Country
Lunch Keynote: Maria Van Hoorn, Deputy Secretary - Wisconsin Department of Tourism
1:30 p.m. Main Ballroom
The NATOW Indigenous Fashion Show
Since time immemorial, Native people have always designed their own clothes and regalia - but the rest of the fashion world is starting to catch on to the beauty, ingenuity and talent of Indigenous designers. This high-energy fashion show will showcase the amazing talents of Native designers from across Wisconsin, who are setting new trends, breaking old stereotypes and creating innovative designs that are both modern, yet traditional in origin.
2:30 p.m. Moose Room
Indigenous Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century: How to Utilize a NCDFI to Grow Your Business
Panel: Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation (WIEDC) Jennifer Peters (WIEDC), Pam Boivin (Woodland Financial/WIEDC Chair), Becky Albert-Breed (First Nations Community Financial/WIEDC Vice Chair),Cheryl Cloud (WINLF/WIEDC Board Member), Chris Cote (FACC)
WIEDC cordially invites all Native entrepreneurs seeking information on starting and building your own businesses to attend this important session where we will discuss the resources available to Native Entrepreneurs and Native-Owned small businesses to help start, support and sustain your business. We'll explain how to take your idea and turn it into a working business, with tips, tricks and guidance on the necessary steps from how to register an LLC, to applying for CDFI loans and grants. Join us for this informative session to start building your dreams!
2:30 p.m. Wolf Room
Wisconsin Native Nations Digital Stewardship Roundtable
Presenters: Erin Hughes, Digital and Community Outreach Archivist, Wisconsin Library Services and Monique Tyndall, Stockbridge-Munsee Cultural Affairs Director
Join us for a lively, informative roundtable discussion with WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) and the Curating Indigenous Digital Collections NEH Grant partners. Everyone is welcome, whether you currently have a flourishing digital stewardship project or are just thinking about starting one. WiLS is a non-profit membership organization that facilitates collaborative projects and services and is supporting a new Wisconsin Native Nations Digital Records Collective. The goal of this initiative is to collaborate with tribal cultural workers to build a collective where workers can share information and find resources to advance their communities’ digital stewardship work. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about digital stewardship work being done with the Curating Indigenous Digital Collection grant and take part in a round-robin to share digital stewardship work success and challenges.
3:30 p.m. Wolf Room
The NATOW Smart Phone Indigenous Film Festival
Emcee: Michelle Danforth
Join us for this fun and lively Indigenous film festival with 5-minute short films shot solely on smart phones to make filmmaking accessible to our communities. These films showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Tribal members of all ages throughout Wisconsin who bring their storytelling skills in three award winning categories, including Comedy, Drama and Documentary.
*Panels subject to change
5:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m. Evening Dinner: Traditional Menominee Menu
Indigenous Chef Thomas Boivin
7:00 p.m. Evening Keynote: Secretary Anne Sayers, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
7:30 p.m. The Menominee Pageant Players
8:00 p.m. Recognition of new NATOW officers
Announcing winners of the Sharktank Competition
9:00 p.m. Evening Entertainment
Band: Indigenous (Blues and Rock)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday: June 22, 2022
8:00 a.m. Depart for Fam Tour
Menominee Cultural Museum
Menominee Logging Museum
The Indian Bowl Powwow Grounds
Keshena Falls
Noon Official send off with box lunches.
OUTDOOR EVENT SCHEDULE - WEDNESDAY JUNE 21ST
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Arts & Crafts Demonstrations (Canoe, Basketry, Beadwork, etc.) Outdoors
*subject to change
Time | Name | Tribe | Performance/Demonstration |
9:00 a.m. | Joey Awonohopay | Menominee | Storyteller |
9:30 a.m. | Karen Hoffman | Oneida | Storyteller |
10:00 a.m. | Wayne Valliere | LDF | Canoe Making |
10:30 a.m. | Wayne Valliere | LDF | Cultural Activities |
11:00 a.m. | Pershing & Salena Kaquatosh Woodland Dancers | Menominee Menominee | Hoop Dancers Woodland Dancers |
11:30 a.m. | Michelle Danforth | Oneida | Oneida Seed |
12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon | Main Ballroom | |
2:30 p.m. | Karen Ann Hoffman | Oneida | Storyteller |
3:00 p.m. | Larry Madden | Stockbridge Munsee | Storyteller |
3:30 p.m. | Sapatis Menomin | FCPC | Lacrosse Stickmaker |
4:00 p.m. | Lacrosse Exhibition Game | FACE Center | Shuttle Bus by Event Tent |
4:30 p.m. | Marvin Dafoe | Red Cliff | Storyteller |
5:00 p.m. | Wayne Valliere | LDF | Torch Making |
5:30 p.m. | Bill Quakenbush | Ho Chunk Nation | Dug out Canoe |
Kids Cultural Activities and Demonstrations 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outdoors
*subject to change
Time | Name | Tribe | Performance |
9:00 a.m. | Joey Awonohopay | Menominee | Storyteller |
9:30 a.m. | Diane Bridgeforth | LDF | Book |
10:00 a.m. | Michelle Danforth | Oneida | Seeds |
10:30 a.m. | Gabrielle Metoxen | Oneida | Corn Husk Dolls |
11:00 a.m. | Cultural Resources Division | Ho Chunk Nation | Cultural Activities |
11:30 a.m. | Cultural Resources Division | Ho Chunk Nation | Cultural Activities |
12 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch | ||
2:30 p.m. | Wayne Valliere | LDF | Storyteller |
3:00 p.m. | Marvin Dafoe | Red Cliff | Storyteller |
3:30 p.m. | Michelle Danforth | Oneida Nation | Cultural Activities |
4:00 p.m. | Larry Madden | Stockbridge | Storyteller |
4:30 p.m. | Wayne Valliere | LDF | Cultural Activities |